NEW! The Canon EOS M5 is a Great First Step Into The World Of Mirrorless Photography

It was only a matter of time until Canon broke into the Mirrorless camera market. With the success of the Sony line and the understated rise of Fuji cameras, no brand can take for granted the market’s desire for these small bodies. While Canon has in the past released EOS M bodies, they’ve been nothing to write home about– sort of a phoned-in addition to their line. Well, hopefully those times are over with the release of the Canon M5.

The Canon EOS M5 isn’t necessarily a groundbreaking camera. In fact, if you took the Canon branding off of it, it’d be a rather modest, expected body. What it represents for Canon is what makes it interesting and if you’re a Canon shooter, exciting.

The Canon EOS M5 comes with the absolutely wonderful Dual Pixel Autofocus that we’ve seen implemented and used to amazing effect in the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and the Canon EOS 1D X Mark II. And honestly, those are the types of generous features that will sell the EOS M5 to those that might be unconvinced of the Mirrorless form factor. When you add in the quite impressive Bluetooth capabilities of the body, you might find yourself a bit excited with the prospects of what it has to offer.

Canon again has taken a queue from Sony and other brands and implemented 5-Axis electronic image stabilization in the EOS M5. That will help you get sharper images in low light and capture more usable hand held video, while hopefully dodging a good deal of that jello rolling shutter.

So there’s a lot of good about the EOS M5, but there’s also some stuff that you’re going to have, “live with” if you invest in the system.The first, and probably the biggest mark against the camera is the EF-M lens mount.

Now, I hate to chastise Canon for using this because it’s not like they had a BETTER option. It’s just… I don’t see this as anything other than a platform for an adapter. There will be plenty of people that might just use the kit lens and be good with it. If you’re one of those people, the EF-M mount will work just fine. However, if you’re interested in trying to use the EOS M5 in any kind of professional atmosphere, you’re going to want a bit more.

A few years ago when Sony released the alpha series cameras, many people complained about the E-Mount not having any great of quality lenses. This was very true at the time. Virtually everyone used an adapter. But times have changed for the E-Mount and with Sony’s vertical implementation of the E-Mount, it’s only taken a couple of years for it to become incredibly useful and powerful.

I don’t see this happening with the EF-M.

In a lot of ways, the Canon EOS M5 reads like a Sony a7II-lite. That’s actually a really great thing because the EOS M5 comes in a few hundred dollars cheaper than the a7II.

While the Canon EOS M5 isn’t future-proof and may not offer the next generation specs you’re looking for, it’s a solid entry level camera for those looking to invest in the Canon color-space or are just not a fan of the Sony system. Hopefully, the EOS M5 shows us what Canon’s future developments might look like.

Canon Introduces the EOS M5 Digital Camera and its First EF-M High Power Zoom Lens

It is also the first in the EOS camera line to include the low energy Bluetooth® Smartii feature that can maintain a constant connectioniii with your compatible smartphone or tablet when you use the Canon camera connect application and both applications are active. The versatile EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens is compatible with all Canon EOS M series digital cameras, and is a great option for photographers looking to capture scenic landscapes while traveling to close-up shots from afar.

“The new capabilities found in the Canon EOS M5 Camera and EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens set a new standard for our EOS M series of cameras and lenses, showing that Canon is constantly incorporating performance enhancements desired by our customers,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “When paired together, the new EOS M5 camera and EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens provide image-makers of all levels with powerful tools that enable them to capture a variety of remarkable images and videos.”

In addition, advanced photographers will appreciate the improved operability of the EOS M5 camera. It has a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) and Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF for capturing stills and shooting video with smooth and precise autofocus. This allows for Touch and Drag AF so users can easily switch the subject of their focus by dragging the AF frame directly on the LCD panel, even while looking through the camera’s EVF.

Focus peaking allows users to highlight the area of the image that is in focus from within the EVF or LCD monitor. In addition to its touchscreen operability, the EOS M5 camera also has easily accessible dials that allow you to quickly adjust your settings on-the-go.

Canon EOS M5 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)

Adept in both stills and video arenas, the EOS M5 from Canon is a versatile mirrorless camera featuring a 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor and DIGIC 7 image processor. Combined, these technologies afford a wide sensitivity range, from ISO 100-25600, along with quick performance for up to 9 fps continuous shooting and Full HD 1080p/60 video recording. The sensor's design also provides Dual Pixel CMOS AF, which offers quick and accurate phase-detection autofocus for multimedia use. This focusing system is particularly well-suited to subject tracking, and pairs with Digital IS 5-axis image stabilization for steadier, shake-free video recording.

Bret Hoy is a filmmaker, photographer and writer based out of St. Louis, Missouri. Mainly focused on documentary and experimental film, he has produced, directed, shot and edited many short films and a few long form works.

Comments

The Image stabilization is digital and not mechanical and it’s only for video, not stills. That said I’m not as pessimistic about the stabilization as some have been as it only films in 1080 and has a 24mp sensor to move that 1080 around on.